Worth every bit of exposure - Closed to Webby and Louie

[outofyourshadow]

Lena had heard from some classmates about a show being put on by a Gurancha Heralda, a famous lightnoisist (whatever that was) who was apparently a pretty big deal amongst the native student body. The tickets were supposedly super cheap, and wanting to see what all the fuss was about, she invited Webby and Louie to go with her to check it out.

The problem was, because it was a one-night-only show, the limited offer did its job of drawing in a huge crowd. So, by the time they arrived, tickets were already sold out.

"...Well, that's just great."

Comments

[talkyourwayout]

Louie sighed. He hadn't been wildly excited about the show, or anything, but it had seemed like it would be fun... And he knew the girls must be down about the tickets being sold out. This had been Lena's idea, after all, and Webby... Well, Webby got excited about everything.

But after a moment of thought, he smirked, and turned to his friends. "You know, guys, I bet we could still get in there."

[woo_oo]

Webby had been disappointed - not only because she really wanted to find out what a lightnoisist did, but also because she wanted to hang out with her best friends. She wanted her besties to be besties! Then they could all be... super besties!

So when Louie offered an idea, she was quick to listen. "Huh? How so?"

[outofyourshadow]

In all honesty, she hadn't cared one way or another about the show itself. More than anything, she just wanted a sense of normalcy, even if it was only for a little while. And going to see a show with friends was normal, right?

She was about to suggest them just heading back, but Louie's tone caught her interest. "Yeah, do tell."

[talkyourwayout]

For a moment, Louie stared at the girls, eyebrows raised. Between Webby's knack for getting into trouble and Lena's rule-breaking streak, he was surprised he was the only one with the idea... But then again, hadn't Uncle Scrooge said his strengths lied in things like this; setting plans into motion?

So his expression melted into a smirk, and he shrugged as he casually explained, "We sneak in."

[woo_oo]

In hindsight, why didn't she see that coming?

"I don't know..." Webby wavered. Between the three of them, she was probably the one with the strongest morals - which, of course, would make it all the easier for the pair of bad influences to win her over to their side.

"Isn't that kind of unfair to the people who paid?" But even as she said this, her eyes went back to the building, and her hands were clenching up. She clearly wanted to go, and only needed the tiniest push to submit.

[outofyourshadow]

In fairness to her, she was trying to be better about rule-breaking, considering all the trouble she’d gotten herself and Webby into before.

.....Buuuuut if someone else suggested it, then why not?

“The tickets were suppose to be dirt cheap anyway,” she replied, placing a hand on Webby’s shoulder, “so it’s not like they’ll be losing all that much. Besides, think of it like training. A test to see how well your sneaking skills are.”

[talkyourwayout]

Louie gave a single nod in Lena's direction, before turning to Webby. "And it's not like we're stopping the paying people from seeing the show," he pointed out. "It's another lesson, Webs."

And honestly, one that sounded like it would be a lot more fun than the disaster that had been trying to teach her some realism.

[woo_oo]

And... sold!

"I guess I've been lacking in my stealth training..." Her heels were already beginning to click together in anticipation. "Okay, okay, okay I'm in! ... How do we do it?"

[outofyourshadow]

Lena thought for a moment, folding her arms over her chest. In any other circumstance, it would have been a normal action, but she couldn't help subconsciously feeling the item tucked away in her sleeve.

"...well, first off, we'll need a distraction."

[talkyourwayout]

"Right," Louie agreed. "Normally, Webby, you'd be a go-to for that, but if you're busy distracting people, you can't exactly sneak in." He considered other options. There was one obvious one, though he wasn't sure how Lena, specifically, would take to it. Still...

"There's always trying some magic."

[woo_oo]

"Oooh, right! It's almost like doing magic homework, by practicing!"

It was not, dang it.

Webby whipped out her wand, almost fast enough to poke out an eye. "Remember that big blue cloud earlier in the month? What if we tried to do that? One person did it by accident and it caused chaos, but maybe if all three of us did on purpose, it would be on purpose and wouldn't have any weird side effects!"

But the people who it would distract might worry about those side effects, and so would waste time trying to get rid of it, hence, distraction!

[outofyourshadow]

She caught Louie’s tone, and felt the weight of the wand in her sleeve. Then she grinned at Webby.

“That’s a good back up,” she said. “But if all three of us use magic at the same time, it might look a little suspicious. Besides, you need to be free to sneak around and find a good way for us to slip in.”

[talkyourwayout]

"Magic homework? Sure," Louie agreed with a shrug. "But Lena's right, you're the best at sneaking around, really. We need you to find out way in, so..."

He glanced expectantly at Lena. Had she told Webby about her find yet?

[woo_oo]

"Well, there's also that hiccup spell, which was also an accident..." Webby continued to list off 'accidental' spells she had mastered, until she finally saw the odd loo Louie and Lena were giving each other.

"What? What is it?" Easily distracted, she looked back and forth between them.

[outofyourshadow]

She absolutely had not told Webby about the wand she found.

"It's nothing," she replied, a bit hastily. "You go ahead and try to find a way in. I'll take care of making a distraction."

[talkyourwayout]

"What's what?" Louie asked without falter. "Lena's right, you go on ahead."

He... Really had to ask Lena what the deal was. She'd told him but not Webby? That just didn't add up. He didn't think Lena was up to anything, either. He really didn't.

But then why keep it a secret? Did she think Webby wouldn't approve? Would tell her to turn it in to the staff? It was possible...

[woo_oo]

Huh... maybe she was imagining things. "Okay, but... make a quick one! I want to see it with both of you! And if you get into trouble, be loud! We fly together, we fall together!"

In other words, she fully planned on taking the blame even if only one of them got caught.

[outofyourshadow]

That, actually, was also a reason she wanted Webby to head in first. If something happened, then at least she'd be far removed enough that they could deny she was involved.

But instead of saying so, she just grinned. "No worries. Just try to find somewhere that'll be easy for us to sneak in later."

[talkyourwayout]

"Webby, it'll be fine! We're not going to fall, period," Louie insisted, shaking his head. He really did worry about her when she said things like that. It would be so easy for someone to take advantage of her. "Now go on. We'll be right behind you."

[woo_oo]

"Okay! Can't wait!" With one last big smile, she began to dart inside, diving right into the shadows and minimizing both sound and movement. Smaller, quieter breathes, precise movements, becoming one with the darkness.

((OOC: feel free to skip my turn if need be!))

[outofyourshadow]

((OOC: All righty!))

She couldn't help a smile of her own as she watched Webby head off. Then she gave Louie a quick glance before looking away.

"You might need to follow her for now, at least to know where an opening will be. I'll need to know where I'm going once I"m done."

[talkyourwayout]

Louie was, perhaps unsurprisingly, having none of that business. His typically slouching posture straightened up a bit as he eyed Lena. He didn't look wary or suspicious, but there was definitely something... Disappointment, maybe?

"You didn't tell Webby about the wand?"

[outofyourshadow]

Of course he wasn't going to leave. Because why should this be easy?

With a sigh, she shrugged. "Not...Not yet. I will...eventually. I just...wanted to learn more about it first."

[talkyourwayout]

"Why does that matter?" Louie asked, sound just a little exasperated. "She's going to be really upset if she found out you kept something from her. Again."

He was going there. And not because moral correctness was important to him... But because Webby was his friend. And she shouldn't have to go through the pain of another betrayal.

[outofyourshadow]

She knew she totally deserved that, but she still can't help wincing a bit.

"That's why I'm doing this. I wanna make sure this thing isn't dangerous. And if it is, how to best get rid of it."

[talkyourwayout]

Louie gave her a flat look. That didn't really add up, at least not in his mind. And he felt like Lena must know it.

"Yeah. Okay. You tell yourself that."

It was a harsh thing to say, and he knew it, but again, he couldn't help feel protective of Webby.

[outofyourshadow]

She sighed.

"Look, I know it doesn't make much sense. But this is something I need to do."

[talkyourwayout]

"Fine. Whatever, just don't get me any more involved with it, okay?" he huffed. He'd been happy when she'd first showed him the wand. It had kind of felt like it cemented their friendship that she'd trusted him.

Now he wished she never had.

[outofyourshadow]

"Don't worry," she retorted, a huff of her own at the edge of her tone. "I won't."

Honestly, what had she expected? It's not like they were particularly close or anything. They were friends through Webby, and that was pretty much it.

She turned away, waving off with one hand as the other tightly gripped her wand. "Go find where Webby got seats for us. I have to go make a distraction."